Practitioner Data Bank: Controversial

AS the debate of healthcare renews, many are asking questions about the NPDB or National Practicioner Data Bank, a resource intended to track the performance of doctors all over the country.

But critics are saying the that Practitioner Data Bank is woefully incomplete, failing to document many instances of doctors and medical practitioners who do their job poorly and should be listed as a risk.

Because the Federal government relies on states to provide the information on health care quality and performance of doctors nurses and other hospital staff and health care providers, there can be major gaps in the database if states fail to provide complete information.

A report in a Chicago newspaper, seen below, says that Illinois is one state where the records are not sufficient and will allow sub-standard performance to go unchecked in the medical professions.

Defenders though say that these problems are being overstated, and the Pracitioner Database is still very useful for the public and just needs to be improved a bit.

Practitioner Data Bank: Controversial tribune

Illinois is one of at least 20 states that have failed to adequately report disciplinary actions, as required, to the federal government. And federal officials have done little to make them, an investigation by ProPublica found. Congress ordered up the massive data repository to house disciplinary actions taken anywhere in the country against nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and other licensed health professionals. The goal was to stop dangerous or incompetent caregivers from crossing state borders for work. On March 1, hospitals finally will be able to fully use it. But the database is dangerously incomplete...

Practitioner Data Bank: Controversial